Trade Regimes

The Republic of Belarus uses three types of trade regimes in the trade and economic relations with other countries.

Free Trade Regime / Free Trade Zone

The free trade regime is one of the most effective forms of international economic integration. Establishment of free trade regime is carried out on a contractual basis between the states having a rather high level of trade, economic and political cooperation.

The free trade regime provides for the abolishment of customs tariffs and quantitative restrictions in bilateral trade. Extra sensitive products are exempted from the free trade regime.

The CIS Treaty on Free Trade Area signed on October 18, 2011 was accepted by Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

Belarus is also a Member of the CIS Agreement on Free Trade Area signed on April 15, 1994 (with alterations of April 2, 1999). In accordance with the Agreement, the free trade regime applies to trade with Georgia.

The successful implementation of the Eurasian economic integration stimulates foreign countries to cooperate with Belarus and the Eurasian Economic Union as a whole.

In accordance with Article 35 of the EAEU Treaty signed on May 29, 2014, the free trade regime with the third party is established on the basis of an international treaty of the Union with this third party.

On May 29, 2015, after three years of negotiations a Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, on the other part, was signed. The Agreement entered into force October 5, 2016, and provides for significant reduction or abolishment of import duties on almost all key positions of Belarusian exports to Vietnam. At the same time the Agreement provides for efficient level of market protection for Belarusian producers.

The official text of the Agreement is available on the website of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

Lists of Tariff Commitments by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and EAEU Member States are available here.

The EAEU Member states are negotiating the conclusion of free trade agreements with Singapore, Israel, Egypt, unification of trade regime with Serbia, as well as an interim agreement leading to the formation of the FTA with Iran.

Members of the European Free Trade Association (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein), as well as New Zealand expressed interest to establish a preferential trade regime with the EAEU. From 2010 through 2014, 11 rounds of consultations have been conducted with EFTAandNew Zealand.

In total, more than 40 countries expressed interest in developing cooperation with the EAEU.

Most-Favoured-Nation Regime (MFN)

Most-Favoured-Nation Regime requires non-discriminatory treatment of trade partners in the field of economic, trade and other relations. The MFN is exercised on a reciprocal basisthrough the conclusion of multilateral and bilateral treaties.

Preferential treatment is provided by developed countries unilaterally and encompasses trade preferences to developing and least developed countries on the principles of universality, non-discrimination and non-reciprocity.

A unified system of tariff preferences of the Eurasian Economic Union is applied to promote the economic development of developing and least developed countries.

According to Article 45 of Agreement on EAEU, the Eurasian Economic Commission specified a list of users entitled to the unified system of tariff preferences of the Eurasian Economic Union and a list of goods originating from developing countries and least developed countries in respect of which the import to the customs territory of the Members of the Customs Union provides.